Firefighters determine North Side fire was intentionally set

SYRACUSE, NY - Syracuse firefighters are investigating a North Side house fire set intentionally Saturday night that displaced 15 people.

Firefighters responded to a call around 11:45 p.m. Saturday at a vacant house near the corner of Park Street and Strand Place, fire investigator Lt. Tony Morgan said. When firefighters arrived, the fire had spread to a neighboring vacant house and was moving toward an occupied three-family house at 1114 Park St., he said.

Morgan said crews worked well into Sunday morning to control the blaze.

He said investigators are still looking into the fire, but they know it was intentionally set.

"There was no electrical power to the vacant house where the fire began. The house was secured. The firefighters had to force their way into the home," Morgan said.

None of the occupants were injured, and all were temporarily relocated to a motel by the Red Cross, he said. He said he believes the 15 occupants will be able to move back into their home and the two vacant homes are reparable as well.